The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-10-29
TRUST, TARIFF, &c.
tirenlent


publican;
Beaten In argument, and unable 70 prove
its assumption that the tariff is response blt
Tor the formation Of trusts and syndicates
the FREE TRADER gives with great junction
from the Philadelphia Itleyrdph, "a Re
publican organ and protectionist of the
deepest dye" an extract" &c, &c.
The FREE TRADER having made no ar
gument to prove that the tariff IL respon
sible for the formation of trusts and syndi
cate" &c, cannot very truthfully he said t
have been beaten in such an argument
What the FREE TRADER maintained anC
still maintains is, that tariffs, trusts anc
syndica'es have all precisely the SAME
ALPHABETICALLY TO raise prices above
their natural and honest level-and thai
the three, therefore, belong to the SAME
genus, species and variety-in a word, are
the san yaller dog" and that no odium
can be attached TO one that does not belong
to all. An illustration may be drawn from
the case of the sugar trust. This Is a com
reiineries, through whose hands about all
the sugar passes that is imported into this
country. These gentry-the owners of
these misunderstanding come to the con.
clusion that competition among themselves
has tended SO 10 beat down the price of
refined sugar, that their occupation is nc
longer proiitable,-a least, not as profitable
as they would like IL TO be, therefore
they enter into combination or trust" to
gobble all the sugar that comes into, or is
raised In this country, pass 1t through
their refneries and sell it at their own
prices. If the competition which so
plaques them instead of being among them
selves, were foreign, of course the gentle.
men retiners would go to Congress and ask
for bigger tariff on refined sugars, and
with the help of the Republican party-if
that unfortunately should be in power
they would get 1t, just as the same party
by Its tariff protection has fastened on
tine country like monster vampire the
huge Syracuse salt monopoly, and has
made possible the robbery of the anthracite
coal trust by its tariff on sea Goals.
The Republican was pleased to say last
week that 1t never asked more protection
than is just and right to build up needed
Observation-Disclosures that are for the peo-
pie 1t does not believe In extortionate
duties, nor In protecting one interest at the
expense of another" and as the FREE
TRADER had previously expressed itself as
by no means averse to such tariff, the
Republican is further pleased to say, THE
difference between the Republican and
FREE TRADER, after all, Is this: The Re
publican wants the abuses Of the tariff re-
moved by those VINO are known to be its
friend, while the FREE TRADER would
commit the job to Its avowed enemies"
The misfortune is, that II is not the tariff
alone, of which the party with which the
Republican acts are the friends, but 1t Is
these "abuses" of which they are the
friends, and which they are therefore
peculiarly and emphatically not fitted to
correct. You might as we'll ask a syndi-
cate of boodlers to rid the country of bood-
lerism. Among the conspicuous and glar-
Ing "abuses" of the present tariff are the
salt tax, the lumber tax, the coal tax, the
excessive tax on woolens, long list Of cot
ton, etc, embraced In list of over 1000
articles upon which the tariff taxes are
levied, while on large proportion of them
to say half would not be an extravagant
6gure--tariff taxation is gross and pal
pable "abuse" Now all these "abuses"
are the creation and outgrowth of Republi-
can rule, and every attempt In Congress to
correct even one of them has been furious
ly fought by that party. Is that the proper
party, therefore, to correct them?
But If 1t is as friends alone of tie tariff
that the Republicans claim the right to
deal with Its abuses, then we say the De-
mocratlc party have just as good a right to
deal with the tariff as the Republicans, for
they are equally the friends of the tariff. ~
do not" said Mr., Morrison in his great
speech in favor of tariff reform in the
House at Washington April 10, 1886, "pro-
pose to get away from import taxes, which
is practically impossible, and the people
will not consent to abolish revenue sys-
tenn to which they have been so long &C
customed. | only desire to contlne 1t to Its
rightful purpose and correct ats abuses"
Here is the difference: The Republicans
are the friends of the present tariff with all
Its glazing and admitted abuses; the Demo
Gratis are the friends of the tariff with its
abuses eliminated. Which party, on the
tariff question, then, ought the country to
trustg
POSSIBLE PRESIDENT.
IL IA one of the curiOus facts of American